Strong Season Start for Van Amersfoort Racing in Misano
The Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine (FRECA) and the Italian Formula 4 Championship kicked off in Misano last weekend. It was a strong weekend for both teams, with multiple podium finishes and some solid points.
After a few collective tests for both championships, it was time for the first race weekend for FRECA and Italian F4. With Dion Gowda competing for the first time in the FRECA championship, he also took part in the rookie championship. The Indian driver drove a really solid first race and claimed his first rookie win in the opening race of the season.
During the first FRECA race, Pedro Clerot just missed out on a podium, finishing in P4. In Misano, he started his second FRECA season with the Dutch team. Hiyu Yamakoshi, moving up from F4 within the team, did a good job adjusting to a new series, with a P9 finish, scoring his first points in his debut race.
The second race of the FRECA weekend was a bit more difficult. After his first win, Dion had to retire his car after facing some issues. However, Pedro managed to score a good amount of points, finishing close to the top three in P5. Hiyu once again scored points during his first weekend by crossing the line in P9.
The FRECA team now sits P4 in the standings after the first race weekend, with 28 points on board. The team headed back to the factory for a quick reset before the next round. Round two will take place at Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium, from May 16–18.
The Italian F4 Championship also chose the Misano circuit as their battleground for the first round. With a five-driver line-up, the team managed to bring home some strong results. In the first race, rookies Dante Vinci and Aleksander Ruta participated. The Australian driver drove a solid first race and finished in P12, just missing out on points. Alex had a more difficult debut and ended up in P23.
Maximilian Popov, Payton Westcott, and Marcus Saeter drove the second race of the Italian F4 weekend. The trio did an excellent job, with all three ending up on the podium. After a strong qualifying, Max managed to finish in P2, securing the first podium of the season for Van Amersfoort Racing. Marcus crossed the line in P13, just missing out on points, but the Norwegian driver finished P3 in the rookie championship. Payton won the female trophy and finished P20.
In the third race, Max just missed out on a second podium, finishing P4. Dante and Alex finished really close to the top ten, in P11 and P12 respectively. Dante secured P3 in the rookie championship, earning his first podium appearance. Marcus gained valuable experience and finished P15, while Payton unfortunately had to retire the car.
For the final race, all our drivers were qualified to participate. Max secured another second-place finish, bringing home a solid haul of points. He now sits third in the drivers' standings with 48 points. Dante finished P16, still chasing his first points. The same goes for Marcus in P18, Payton in P26, and Alex in P31.
The next round of the Italian F4 Championship will take place in Vallelunga, Italy, from May 23–25.
Pedro Clerot - FRECA driver, Van Amersfoort Racing:
"So, Misano was a good first race weekend. Good consistent results. Happy to come out P3 in the championship, but still focused on what we can do to, to improve and, still keep fighting at the front so that we can, hopefully go forward in the championship and looking for the first spot."
Dion Gowda - FRECA driver, Van Amersfoort Racing:
"Overall, tough weekend here in Misano, but we know the pace is very strong, so there's a lot of positives we can take from it. Q2 was very positive being P4, and, during phase two, we were running in the top 7, and pace was very strong. So, yeah, a lot of positives we can take from it and move on to Spa, but all together, I think we'll be right up there."
Hiyu Yamakoshi - FRECA driver, Van Amersfoort Racing:
"Overall, very tough weekend. Very unfortunately. We were out of the top 10 in both qualifying, but we managed to finish top 10 for both races. We had a good pace in pre-season testing, bit frustrating in this weekend. Hopefully we can find some good pace in Spa-Francorchamps."
Dante Vinci - Formula 4 driver, Van Amersfoort Racing:
"Sooo close to the points! Ended P11 as a best finish and took away a rookie podium, main positive is that we started the championship on the right foot. I know what I need to work on. Let’s continue in this manner!"
Maximilian Popov - Formula 4 driver, Van Amersfoort Racing:
"Successful weekend for us. 2 podiums and a lot of points in the bag, leaving us P3 in the standings. I’m really enjoying our work with the team, proud of what we are doing, let’s keep it going!"
Payton Westcott - Formula 4 driver, Van Amersfoort Racing:
“It was an exciting weekend kicking off the first round of Italian F4. I exceeded my expectations in some areas and made solid progress, but there’s still so much to learn and improve. I’m proud of the steps forward and looking forward to building on this for the next round.”